Dayton job fair offers help for vets who are ex-cons

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Officials in the Dayton area plan a job fair catering to military veterans — including those who have felony convictions.

The event on Wednesday in Dayton is being sponsored jointly by the Montgomery County Office of Ex-Offender Re-entry and the Dayton-Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Mike Ward, former coordinator of the county re-entry program and founder of a program that helps people addicted to opiates, tells the Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1eaQgLq ) that local employers are looking for qualified workers, even those with criminal convictions.

Officials say convincing some employers to be open to those with felony convictions can be a struggle, but giving ex-cons a chance to be productive will ultimately strengthen public safety.

Ward tells veterans who have served time not to make excuses and don't give up.